Pavel Bure’s road to Canucks paved by Russian sportswriter

Igor Kuperman did some digging, and proved the Russian Rocket was eligible for 1989 draft after Vancouver made its move

Pavel Bure (left) with Igor Kuperman, the then-hockey editor of Sovietski Sport who helped bring the Russian Rocket to Vancouver and the Canucks.

Photograph by: Submitted photo
, PNG

VANCOUVER — Most Vancouver Canucks fans have never heard of Igor Kuperman, but they would not be witnesses to Pavel Bure’s jersey retirement if not for him.

As much as it pained the Canucks to admit it, it was a sportswriter — the former hockey editor of Sovietski Sport — who made Bure’s National Hockey League career in Vancouver possible.

When the Canucks laid claim to Bure in the sixth round of the 1989 entry draft, there were howls of protest from other clubs who claimed he had not played the required number of games in the Soviet elite league to be eligible.

According to the NHL’s records, Bure had skated in only five games, not the 11 needed to place his name in the draft.

But the league’s intel was incorrect.

Kuperman, then living in Moscow, was recruited by Igor Larionov — who joined the Canucks the year Bure was drafted — to substantiate the claim. “He phoned me on my birthday (June 10), just before the (1990) NHL draft,” recalls Kuperman, a naturalized Canadian citizen who works as a vice-president for Pointstreak Sports Technologies in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Kuperman spent two days sleuthing, going through old game sheets to find evidence of Bure’s participation with CKSA (Central Red Army) of which the NHL was unaware.

Ironically, Kuperman was aided in his quest by Boris Mikhailov, the CKSA assistant coach, and “one of the most hated persons” (Kuperman’s words) in Soviet hockey from a Canadian perspective. Mikhailov was the prickly, combative leader of the Soviets in the 1972 Summit Series who committed the unthinkable act of kicking and bloodying Team Canada’s Gary Bergman.

“My hand was literally shaking, looking for evidence of the 11th game,” Kuperman said. “It added up exactly to 11. Mikhailov signed off, the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation put their seal on it and Igor and I went together to the Canadian embassy to fax the information to the Canucks right away.”

NHL president John Ziegler, who initially ruled against the Canucks, then reversed his decision on the eve of the 1990 entry draft at BC Place Stadium.

Bure finally landed on the Canucks’ doorstep in November, 1991. Kuperman preceded him by 10 months.

Sponsored by Ken Dryden, whom he’d assisted in the Moscow segment of Home Game, a hockey film series, and Globe and Mail Moscow correspondent Lawrence Martin, Kuperman arrived in Winnipeg on January 28, 1991 to take up a new life in Canada.

He was hired by the Winnipeg Jets, moved to Phoenix when the team relocated there and stayed with the organization until 2004.

“I got a hard time from the Jets office staff in those days,” Kuperman said with a chuckle. “We played the Canucks a lot and the Winnipeg people never let me forget I was the guy who helped get Pavel Bure to Vancouver.”

The pair were reunited at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where Kuperman was a manager of the bronze-medal winning Russian team.

“I’ll definitely be watching Saturday and I’ll be proud,” Kuperman said. “Watching the NHL for 23 years, Pavel is, without a doubt, the most exciting player to watch over that time. It’s great that his jersey is going under the rafters. What’s taken so long?”

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.